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The rise of Basque football shows that Madrid and Barcelona aren't the only show in town

There was a time when not Madrid nor Barcelona, but the Basque Country dominated Spanish football. Real Sociedad achieved back-to-back La Liga title wins in 1981 and '82, only for rivals Athletic Bilbao to follow them and produce the exact same feat in '83 and '84, and it is no stretch to say that the Primera Division had a distinctly Euskadi tinge in the early '80s.

That decade proved to be the peak of the collective powers of the two clubs in the modern era, and a relative lull followed. In the 1997/98 season there was a brief revival, with Athletic finishing second and La Real third, granting them entry to the Champions League and UEFA Cup respectively, but it was ultimately a false dawn for Basque football. While both teams have had some individual success in Spain since then, they have never quite managed to make a collective mark on the league table, with Athletic tending to do well while La Real suffer, and vice-versa. That looks likely to change however, with the pair fighting out a very personal battle for fourth place that neither wants to lose, but could still see both rivals in European competition come next season.

The three-way title race in Spain has dominated the headlines this season, but the battle for the European spots has proven to be equally tight and, in recent months, genuinely fascinating. Athletic currently sit in fourth place with 47 points, but Real Sociedad are biting at their ankles, only four points behind them in fifth. It would be a major upset if both teams aren’t playing European football of some kind in 2014, yet nothing has been handed to them on a plate, and not so long ago there was little guarantee either club would be in its current position.

After a triumphant run to both the Copa del Rey and Europa League finals in 2012, Marcelo Bielsa’s second and final season with Athletic proved to be nothing short of a disaster. Los Leones ultimately finished 12th in the 2012/13 Spanish league but flirted with relegation at one stage, and much of the campaign was dominated by the Fernando Llorente transfer farce, with the exceptional striker spending much of his time sitting on the bench, counting down the hours before he could leave for Juventus, watching his team struggle in front of him.

What Ernesto Valverde has done since taking charge of Los Leones last summer is worth taking note of. Turning an atmosphere of pessimism into optimism, the former Athletic forward has managed to take many of the best aspects of Bielsa’s style – the high octane, one touch, aggressive football that captivated Europa League viewers – and merge that with the kind of subtle man management the Argentine coach lacked. Valverde has won over the players with ease, and has even added a touch of defensive solidity to what is still an attacking team. A draw with Real Madrid and, more impressive still, a win over Barcelona at the new San Mames are some of the rewards that have allowed his team to push on to their current spot in fourth place. Should they make it to the Champions League next year, fittingly, it will arrive right on time for the completion of the fourth and final stand of the new stadium. The perfect symbol of a new era of success for Athletic.

For Real Sociedad, things have equally looked ropey at times. After making it to the Champions League for the first time since 2004 the celebrations didn’t last long, as it looked like they too would go the way of Athletic and take a major turn for the worse following a brief peak. Claiming only a solitary point in their 2013/14 Champions League group, at one stage in October La Real sat 14th in La Liga after slumping to defeat against Rayo Vallecano. For many, their troubles appeared to be a consequence of a change in management, with Philippe Montanier being replaced by the hugely inexperienced Jagoba Arrasate in the summer.

Yet if Arrasate’s learning curve was a steep one, then it is also true that he managed to learn those important lessons quickly. La Real began to turn things around towards the turn of the year, showing much more collective play than the early stages of the season, and ascended the table rapidly between November and January, putting the disappointments of the Champions League behind them and instead focusing on making it back into the competition.

The direct, hugely entertaining and effective football that was a trademark of the side last year has returned, while Arrasate has also managed to develop some alternative strategies for facing more dangerous attacking opponents. That was no more evident than in last Saturday’s triumphant 3-1 victory over Barcelona, in which the Basques defended deep and were even more vertical than usual, causing the Catalans endless problems, and looking good value for the three goals they put past the reigning La Liga champions. Athletic’s 2-0 victory over Betis on Sunday meant taking three points from Barca proved crucial for La Real in keeping toe-to-toe with their local rival.

With 13 fixtures left to play in La Liga, the tug of war for fourth could go either way, but at this moment in time it looks likely that both will be playing European football of some kind next season. That is genuinely a triumph for Basque football, too. Athletic’s Basque-only policy is well known, and playing in the Champions League under such constraints in the modern era is nothing short of remarkable, but it is also worth noting that seven of the Real Sociedad starting line-up that defeated Barcelona last Saturday came through the club’s academy. That is no small feat, and is no doubt the envy of supporters of other clubs the world over. Whether it's in the Champions League or the Europa League, there is a big chance that Basque football could be coming to a stadium near you next season, and that's worth sitting up and taking note of.